Winery Restaurant in Sussex

We opened our Tasting Room Restaurant in the summer of 2018 when we launched the first vintages of our English Sparkling wines. Since then, we are proud to have been featured in the Michelin Guide and welcome guests from far and wide to experience fine dining in the Sussex winelands. Headed up by Chef Chris Bailey, our goal is to create a unique dining experience in our Vineyard restaurant, serving authentic British cuisine that pairs perfectly with our Sussex Sparkling wines.

Tasting Room Interior

Fine Dining in Sussex

Located within our Sussex Heritage award-winning Winery, the Tasting Room restaurant offers breath-taking, panoramic views of the Vineyard and South Downs. Head Chef, Chris Bailey, and his team serve a new take on contemporary, ingredient-focussed British cuisine, using the finest seasonal produce available from the land, sea, and garden of the British Isles. After spending most of his career in Michelin-starred restaurants, Chris developed an appreciation and deep understanding for sourcing and handling great ingredients which are reflected in the dishes his team produce.

Dine in the Vines Table Service Rathfinny Wine Estate

Dine in the Vines

Back by popular demand, our Dine in the Vines Summer Series launches with a Celebration of Sussex Farmers, shining a light on the local growers and suppliers we work with all year round.

Situated on long tables in the Vineyard, enjoy a seven course menu, freshly prepared by the Tasting Room chefs. A Rathfinny Sussex wine flight is also available to pre-book for the most authentic Sussex tasting experience.

Tasting Room Dessert

Weekly Changing, Seasonal Menus

Join us for two or three-course lunches, Wednesday to Sunday, and weekend tasting menu dinners with optional wine flights. Provenance and a sense of place feature in every menu meaning ingredients don’t have to travel too far to reach your plate. Our fine dining menu changes regularly based on conversations with our suppliers and their seasonal recommendations.

Carrot Cake
Spotlight on

Evening Tasting Menus

Yield your palette to our chefs and they will take you on a gastronomical adventure through thoughtfully designed dishes that surprise and delight. Our tasting menus are served on Friday and Saturday evenings between April – December with an optional wine flight.

Scroll through the calendar to find availability

Reservations

Tasting Room menu

Perfect Pairings

Did you know, our Sussex Sparkling wines are best enjoyed with food? Our winemakers and talented chefs work in synergy to create the perfect pairings, showcasing the best of Sussex on a plate. Wine flights are a great way to discover our portfolio of wines and we also offer a hand-picked list of some of our favourites from around the world. Available with evening tasting menus.

“The upper floor of the Rathfinny Winery houses a narrow restaurant boasting lovely vineyard views (their sparkling wine is a must-try). Modern British cooking is guided by seasonal Sussex produce; lunch sees a concise fixed price menu, and dinner, a tasting selection.”

Michelin Guide

Wine Pour
Tasting Room balcony
Classic_Cuvee_Cliff_Banner_01
Tasting Room Restaurant

OPENING HOURS

Mon - Tue
Closed
Wed - Sun
Open for lunch 12noon to 15:00
Fri - Sat (April - December)
Open for dinner 18:30 to 20:30
View more
Tasting Room exterior
Vineyard Restaurant

Idyllic vineyard location

Tasting Room balcony
Tasting Room balcony

Panoramic and breath-taking views

Tasting Room cheers
Visit for a celebration

Dishes perfectly pair with our Sussex wines

Tasting Room
Serving authentic British cuisine

A gastronomical treasure

Chef Chris Bailey
Meet our Executive Chef

CHRIS BAILEY

A talented visionary, Chris trained at Westminster College and has worked in some of the top restaurants in London and Spain which culminated in being awarded a Michelin Star at The Black Rat in Winchester. Chris Bailey joined the Rathfinny team three years ago to launch the Tasting Room restaurant and he now manages all dining experiences across the Estate. Inspired by produce and conversations with farmers and suppliers, he uses the seasons to guide his cooking, treating all ingredients with respect to keep the flavours clean and, most importantly, tasty.

FIND US

Tasting Room
Rathfinny Wine Estate
Alfriston, East Sussex
BN26 5TU

Read our

FAQs

Can I dine on the balcony?

The balcony is not open for al fresco dining. Please note, you cannot request to eat outside, all reservations will be seated inside the Tasting Room. The balcony can be used for pre-dinner and after dinner drinks for those that have booked to dine with us.

What is your family policy?

We welcome children and babies of all ages for lunch reservations at the Tasting Room Restaurant and for all reservations in the Flint Barns dining room. When you’re booking your table, please make sure all children in your group (even the babies) are included in your total number of guests. If you need a highchair or extra space for a pushchair, please let us know when you book, and we’ll take care of this for you. Younger guests are welcome as long as they participate in dining from our standard lunch menu, please note we do not offer a child’s menu in the Tasting Room restaurant. At the Flint Barns, children can enjoy smaller portions of the main menu or alternatively we have a small number of child friendly dishes from time-to-time.

In order to allow our guests an evening of relaxation, the Tasting Room restaurant is an adult-only venue during the evenings.

What is the dress code?

Our dress code is smart/casual and quite relaxed. We usually advise against sportswear e.g. baseball caps and tracksuits. Smart trainers are allowed.

Can you cater for all dietary requirements?

Unfortunately, we cannot cater for vegan or lactose-free diets on the evening tasting menu but we will do our best to cater for other dietary requirements, as long as you provide at least seven days written notice.

A vegetarian option is always available on all our menus and we can cater for vegans and lactose-free diets on our lunch menu with advance warning.

If you have any queries about dietary requirements or allergies, please contact us directly or leave a note during the booking process.